J- jacobson



March 3, 1964 H. J. JAcoBsoN 3,123,392

PROPELLER LIFT ASSEMBLY..

Filed Nov. 28, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 3, 1964 H. J. JAcoBsoN3,123,392

PROPELLER LIFT ASSEMBLY Filed NOV. 28, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Figi-E BYMW! H. J. JACOBSON PROPELLER LIFT ASSEMBLY March 3, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed Nov. 2.8, 1962 fv, fceasfo incisa/Warne frog/V67 @gw UnitedStates Patent 3,123,392 PRFELLER LEFT ASSEMBLY Harvey J. .lacobsomdeceased, late ot Travis Air Force Base, Calif., by Vinnie M.. .laeobsomlegal representative, 1123 E. Princeton, Spokane, Wash.

Filed Nov. 2S, 1962, Ser. No. 249,764 2 Claims. (Cl. 294-81) (Grantedunder Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention describedherein may be manufactured and used by or for the United StatesGovernment for governmental purposes without payment to the patentee ofany royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a lift assembly for use in installation andremoval of propellers.

One object of the invention is to provide a propeller lift assemblywhich will permit rotation and tilting of the propeller.

This object and other objects will be more ful.y understood from thefollowing detailed description taken with the drawing wherein:

FTG. 1 shows a perspective View of the device of the invention as it isattached to an aircraft propeller;

FIG. 2 is a front View of support ring and rail attaching plate for thedevice of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 along the line 6-3;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the extension arms for the device of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view oi the right rail support bearing member for thedevice of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the device of PIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an end View of the left rail support bearing member for thedevice of FIG. l1;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the device of the invention as it isattached to va propeller in the position that the propeller is ten fromthe aircraft; and,

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the device of the invention attached toa propeller positioned on a propeller dolly.

In the removal and installation tof a propeller on an aircraft, thepropeller is held in the 1t-position; whereas the propeller as placed onthe propeller dolly is in the inverted Y-position. This requires arotation of 45 from the position in which the propeller is removed fromthe aircraft to the position in which it is stored on the dolly. Alsothe propeller' must be tilted from the vertical position when it isplaced on the dolly. According to this invention, a lift assembly isprovided in which a trolley runs on an arcuate rail to provide the 45rotation of the propeller and the rail is pivoted to the propellersupport assembly to permit tilting7 of the propeller.

Referring now to EPIG. .Il of the drawing, reference number lil refersto the propeller lift asesmbly of the invention connected between ahoist hook 11 and a standard base plate 12 attached to propeller 13. Thesupport ring 15 is secured to the base plate 12 by means of a standardlocking ring 16.I The base plate 12 and locking ring 16 are standardequipment and formV no part of this invention.

The support ring 15, shown in greater detail in FIGS.

2 and 3, has a ilange plate 21 and an interconnecting mem' ber 2.6. Theflange plate 21 is attached to the plate 26 of the rail supportattaching member 13 by means of four bolts 19, two of which are shown inFIG. 2. The retractable pin 22 engages a positioning groove on the baseplate 12 (not shown).

The attaching member 18 has two rail support attaching plates 23 yand 24connected by a reinforcing web member 25 and the intermediate platemember 26.

A rail Btl is pivotally supported between two rail sup` port bearingmembers 31 and 32. The support bearing member 31 is of greater lengththan member 32 and is connected directly to the plate 23 by means ofplate 33 and four bolts 34, (two of which are shown in FIG. 9). Sto thatthe rail 3d may be mounted with its center of curvature at the center ofgravity of the propeller, an extension yarm 36 is connected betweenplate 24 and the bearing member 32. The extension arm 35 is secured toplate 24 by means of a plate 37 and four bolts 38, three of which areshown in FIG. l. The flange on the bearing member 32 is connected to theflange 41 on eXtension arm y36 by means of four bolts 42, two of whichare shown in FIG. "1.

A trolly assembly 45, having a trolley wheel 46 riding on rail '39', issupponted upon hook 11 by means of a clevis 43.

In the operation of the lift assembly of the invention, the device isattached to the propeller as shown in FIG. 9 with the trolley in theextreme right position on rail 301 and the pnopeller in the Y-position..For placing on the dolly Si), shown in FIG. 10, it is necessary torotate the propeller so that the trolley is in the extreme left positionon rail 3d. The propeller can then be tilted back onto the dolly bymeans of the pivots at the end of rail 30.

There is thus provided a lift assembly which will permit rotation andtilting of the propeller lfor storing the propeller on a dolly.

While la certain specilic embodiment has been described in detail, it isobvious that numerous changes may be made without departing from thegeneral principle and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l1. A propeller lift assembly comprising: a ring support member adaptedto rit on a standard propeller base plate, an `arcuate rail member,`'trolley lifting means for supporting said rail and having roller meansfor engaging the lower surface of said rail, bearing means secured toeach end of said rail for permitting rotation of said rail at rightangle to the direction of motion of said trolley, and means, connectedbetween said bearing means and said ring support member for supportingsaid rail with its center of curvature at the center of gravity of thepropeller to which it is attached.

2. A propeller litt assembly comprising: a ring suppor-t member adaptedto lit on a standard propeller base plate, an arcuate rail member,trolley lifting means for supporting said nail and having roller meansfor engaging the lower surface of said rail, bearing means secured toeach end of said rail for permitting rotation or said rail at rightangle to the direction of motion of said trolley, a plate member securedto said ring support member, one of said bearing means being directlyconnected to said plate member, an extension member connected betweenthe other bearing member and said plate member adapted to support-t saidrail wtih its center of curvature at the center of gravity of the railto which it is attached.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ElbertyDec. 21, 1956

2. A PROPELLER LIFT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A RING SUPPORT MEMBER ADAPTEDTO FIT ON A STANDARD PROPELLER BASE PLATE, AN ARCUATE RAIL MEMBER,TROLLEY LIFTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID RAIL AND HAVING ROLLER MEANSFOR ENGAGING THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID RAIL, BEARING MEANS SECURED TOEACH END OF SAID RAIL FOR PERMITTING ROTATION OF SAID RAIL AT RIGHTANGLE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOTION OF SAID TROLLEY, A PLATE MEMBER SECUREDTO SAID RING SUPPORT MEMBER, ONE OF SAID BEARING MEANS BEING DIRECTLYCONNECTED TO SAID PLATE MEMBER, AN EXTENSION MEMBER CONNECTED BETWEENTHE OTHER BEARING MEMBER AND SAID PLATE MEMBER ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAIDRAIL WITH ITS CENTER OF CURVA-